1983 Rover 2600 SE (SD1)

[carinaman]

dbdb said:

The Jaguar AJ6 has the right heritage!

Thanks.

That reminds me of the red oil filler on BV72's Dolly Sprint.

spitfire4v8 said:

I feel I should go out and buy a 2600 just to see how much power I can get out of it having read this thread ..

In the retro £5K thread someone mentioned some very complicated fly by wire Lexus Soarer coupe last week. Imagining all of the variants some of the Japanese makers got up to in the 80s would they have developed the six pot and then thought 'It'll tread on the toes of the old V8 so we better restrict it by constraining the inlets and outlets'?

[Hooli]

Lovely sheddy shed

[anonymous-user]

You can buy BL flying plughole oil filler caps for thruppence on eBay to use as paper weights in your bloke cave, if you have one.

[carinaman]

Breadvan72 said:

You can buy BL flying plughole oil filler caps for thruppence on eBay to use as paper weights in your bloke cave, if you have one.

£14 inc. delivery and it's alloy. Tempting.

[dbdb]

Breadvan72 said:

Interior and engine shots of my one. The engine is perhaps more interesting to look at on the other side where the six branch inlet manifold lives - will take another photo.

An SD1 in a good spec like this is a rather wonderful thing. The dash is as joyfully bonkers as that in a Trevi - it is only familiarity which makes it seem even remotely sensible. Yet it works. What marvellous, individual and idiosyncratic cars BL designed in the 'Seventies. The Rover is one of the best.

It is strange how the straight six has become slightly frowned upon in the big Rover - when the same configuration is celebrated in a Jaguar or BMW. I haven't been in a 2600 for a long time indeed, but I remember it as a fine sounding and smooth old lump. I think a straight six suits a manual. To my ear, a V8 sounds better with an automatic transmission, whilst a straight six makes a better noise run through the gears on a manual gearbox. It is down to the revs: I prefer the V8 noise at lazy engine speeds - woofing along. But a straight six sounds better as it growls then howls as you extend it.

[anonymous-user]

Here is the car on station duty, and some engine pics.

[itcaptainslow]

Very tidy! Great to see it being used too. Those seats look uber comfy in a very squishy, 1980's crushed velour kind of way.

[BGarside]

LJK Setright identified ways to release more power from the 2.6, which was deliberately detuned to avoid making the V8 look crap...

http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/cars/rover/sd1-rov...

[anonymous-user]

Great article, many thanks. How lovely to know that Setright liked the engine. I am a worshipper at his Shrine.

The engine was off its feed that day. Possibly cobwebs as it had not been used much before I bought it. Maybe also dodgy dashpots. Dunno. It was hesitating a bit and not pulling properly. Carby clean, dashpots checked, Paddington hard stare. Now it is fine again - still smooth, but feels more powerful.

[Speedracer329]

Breadvan72 said:

Please send deets of the V8. Not for me, but I know some people who might be keen. Thanks!

Message sent did you get it?

[anonymous-user]

Nope.

[Lowtimer]

The 2600SE manual was my favourite SD1 until the Vitesse came out and I like yours very much.

[EdJ]

Fantastic post and a lovely car. Great to see it parked next to a modern Mini and looking almost a similar size. I used to spend ages trying to persuade my dad to get one, but his company car allowance only stretched to the 2300 and he always said that it would be the V6 he'd want.

[StuntmanMike]

BGarside said:

LJK Setright identified ways to release more power from the 2.6, which was deliberately detuned to avoid making the V8 look crap...

http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/cars/rover/sd1-rov...

Brilliant article, read with big interest.

[StuntmanMike]

BV, when I used to mess around with engines many years ago, one thing I used to do to the S.U carb was clean it, mark the dash pot so you put it back the same way, then I used G5 compound but T-cut would do, to clean the piston and inside of the bowl, clean gunk off reassemble and fill dash pot with oil.
Many apple-ogies if you know this, not trying to teach you to suck eggs but it always made a rough running B.L lump better.

[anonymous-user]

Cheers!

Here is the car sort of holding its own in the car park outside my chambers.





Also, oh noes, cars in jail!

[Speedracer329]

Breadvan72 said:

Nope.

OK well it is the same colour as yours with a dark blue interior, currently sorn'ed but comes with a new ticket, V8 auto, bodywork looks dead straight from what I could see. It is over a pit in a garage so easy to get underneath for a poke around. Current owner is a mechanic with his own garage & has had it a while I think. 79k miles, it is in Poole & if your mate is interested I will get the contact number for him.
Brook.

[anonymous-user]

Cheers, will pass it on.

[StuntmanMike]

Breadvan72 said:

Cheers!

Here is the car sort of holding its own in the car park outside my chambers.





Also, oh noes, cars in jail!

Looking at those other two simply reminds me that new cars have zero presence, they look as expensive as a new A4.

[MarshPhantom]

StuntmanMike said:

Breadvan72 said:

Cheers!

Here is the car sort of holding its own in the car park outside my chambers.





Also, oh noes, cars in jail!

Looking at those other two simply reminds me that new cars have zero presence, they look as expensive as a new A4.

Has the Rover been banged up for impersonating a Ferrari Daytona?